INTRODUCTION:
Cervical cancer remains a significant global health issue, despite effective screening methods. South Africa's Health Department launched a nationwide program aiming for 70% screening coverage; however, only 13.6% has been achieved. In Greater Giyani Municipality, Limpopo Province, from 2018 to 2020, screening uptake was only 47% across 26 clinics, highlighting low participation (Mopani District Municipality, 2020). This study explored women’s perceptions, experiences, and barriers to accessing cervical cancer screening services in this area.

METHODS:
This qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study involved women aged 30 and older attending clinics in Greater Giyani. Data was gathered through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, analysed using Tesch’s open-coding method.

RESULTS:
Findings showed that most women lacked knowledge about cervical cancer causes, symptoms, testing procedures, and prevention. Despite limited knowledge, participants generally viewed screening positively and perceived themselves at risk. Barriers included lack of feedback after previous screenings, fear of outcomes, and preferences for specific examiner genders. Additional challenges included shyness, embarrassment, pain and discomfort during procedures, and long waiting times at clinics.

CONCLUSIONS:
While perceptions towards screening were optimistic, knowledge levels were poor. Barriers such as fear, discomfort, and clinic delays hinder participation. Addressing these issues by reducing barriers and promoting facilitators is essential to improve screening rates and reduce cervical cancer mortality in the region. Cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening, women’s perceptions, screening barriers, screening uptake